Door or gate latch.



BJ. T. PERGE. DUUR OB. GATE LATCH. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 23,1913.

Lmj/@g Patented Aug. 25,1914.

Hormon so as to allow 4for the closingof the door but l ROBERT T. PEIRCE, OF NEWPORT YNIEIYS', VIRGINIA.

DOOR OR GATE LATCH.

Specification of LettersY Patent.

Patented Aug. 25,1914.

Application filed September 23, 1913. Serial No. 791,420.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. Panzer., a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door or Gate Latclies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door or gate latches and has for its primary object to provide a novel device which will automatically operate while thedoor is being closed,

preventing the opening ofthe same unless the latch is released. i

Another object of they invention resides in the provision of a Idevice of this character which may be manufactured at a minimum cost, being formed from a single sheet of metal which may be stamped or pressed as desired, having the ends thereof so'formed as to automatically operate the device when thev same comes in contact with the door,

the latch being pivotally mounted on the.

door jamb.

f Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings :.-Figure '1 .is an elevation of my improved devlce illustrating the application thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the latch; nal sectional view; Fig. 4 1s,l a crossfsectional viewy taken on the line'41-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device showing to advantage the reinforcing strip which is formed midway the ends thereof; Fig. 6 is va detail fragmentary view of a modified form; and Fig. 7 is a similar view of another for In the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, in order to properly illustrate the application thereof, a portion of a door jamb 5 is pro. vided which has associated therewith, a portion of a door'or gate 6. Pivotally mount'- ed on the door amb approximately midway its marginal side is my improved latch 7.

The latch comprises a sheet or strap of metal which is stamped, Acast or pressed, having the opposite ends 8 thereof turned in angled relation to the body so as to pro- Fig. is a longitudi-4 -vide a.structure substantially triangular in' plan as shown to advantage in Figs. 2 and 3. The angled portions 9 of the latch are preferably pointed so as to facilitate the actuating of the. device on its pivot point 10 when ressure is exerted on one of the ends 8, by tlie door or the like, so as to throw the same in a position as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l. The upper marginal side of the latch is extended as indicated at 11 and bent. into right angled relation .with the body'thereof so as to -provide a reinforcing element. An aperture l2 is formed inter-l mediate the ends 8 andis adapted forengagementwith the pivot pin 10. The aper-` -ture 12 is formed slightly above the 'center ofl gravity vin order to normally hold the latchk in a horizontalposition on the pivot pin4 l0 as advantageously illustratedy in Fig. 1.

In view of the fact that the side of the door 6 is constantly contacting with one of the ends 8 of the latch, it may be desired to use a reinforcing element between each of said ends 8 and the body portion so as Lto' veliminate the displacement of the ends. In Fig. 6 is illustrated a form which willover-y lso v rivets 15. By mounting the'flat springs 14.-

between the ends 8 and the body of the strap, that possibility of displacement 'of thev ends 8 will be reducedY to a minimum, since the springs will elements -to maintain ends 8 in their normally inclined position thereby withstanding the strain w ich is exerted. thereon when the door 6 comes incontact therewith.

In the manufacture of these devices, the

same may be either stamped, cast 'or pressed from a sheet of metal, as above pointed out having the ends thereof turned in angled relation to the body, and the reinforcing strip l11 .arranged on the upper marginal edge of, the body portion intermediate the ends thereof. The aperture 12 through serve as reinforcingy am uhm vmmls l automasa'y asm. c.v of consfuc'n, mx'mg'emmt parts, may made 'within the Scope of wh@ appended Cams and Without sacrificing any of h@ mvmuages of my invention.

Having zms auly described my inven-l tiranj what daim new and. desire 'Eno sesu'fe by fs ga'ten it- 

